Co-op Enrollment Process | Career Services

Congratulations on securing an internship or co-op opportunity!

If you have questions about what the Co-op Course looks like, visit our Co-op Courses webpage. The enrollment process is a little different from registering for other courses on campus, and there are a few important reasons for that.

Think of the Co-op Course similarly to a study abroad experience. We need to verify that your position meets the course requirements and ensure we have accurate information about where you will be working. We also want you to make an informed decision about taking a semester away from campus, which is why meetings and approval from your academic advisor and Financial Aid are required before enrollment can move forward.

To enroll in the Co-op Course, you will need to:

Submit your experience through the Handshake Experience approval process with all of the required documentation attached.
Meet with your academic advisor and Financial Aid and obtain their approval.
Meet the co-op course requirements.
Complete any additional approval steps required by the university.

Once your experience has been approved by all required departments, Career Services will manually register you for the Co-op Course.

Because multiple departments are involved in the approval process, we encourage you to start early and allow at least 2 weeks for your enrollment to be completed.

Co-op Course Information
Co-op Approved Start/End dates
Enrollment Deadlines

You Have an Upcoming Internship or Co-op, What's Next?

We would love to see you in the Co-op course! At the same time, we understand that adding a course is both a financial and academic decision, and it’s important that enrollment makes sense for your individual goals and situation. Before starting the enrollment process, we strongly encourage you to meet with both your academic advisor and Financial Aid so you have the information needed to make the best decision for you.

Taking a few proactive steps now can help you feel confident and informed as you move forward with your co-op experience.

If you decide to not take the co-op course, please still let us know about your opportunities by completing a Handshake experience using the Reporting Experience template (see Co-op Experience Instructions).

What your academic advisor can help you understand

How the Co-op course may fit into your academic plan
Whether the course fulfills any degree or graduation requirements
What credit load may be most appropriate for your situation
Does this opportunity align with your intended degree

What Financial Aid can help you understand

Scholarship or loan requirements related to maintaining student enrollment status
How enrolling, or not enrolling, may impact your financial aid eligibility
Loan repayment timelines that may begin if you are no longer considered an active student

Co-op Course Requirements

Undergraduate Students

Minimum cumulative GPA 2.0
Must be in good academic and conduct standing
Must receive permission from their academic advisor
Must have completed at least one semester at Michigan Tech
Experience must be in your academic field
Experience must be aligned to the start/end dates of the semester

Graduate Students

Minimum cumulative GPA 3.0
Must be in good academic and conduct standing
Must receive permission from their academic or graduate advisor
Must have completed at least one semester at Michigan Tech
Experience must be in your academic field
Experience must be aligned to the start/end dates of the semester

International Students

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is no longer being authorized at this time due to stricter regulations regarding eligibility.

Without CPT approval, affected students cannot legally begin or extend their employment at this time.
This pause is entirely due to shifting federal regulations: it reflects no fault or change in standing of the student.

Additional Information

Required Documentation to Enroll

Offer Letter - This information is used as justification that this experience fits the requirements to earn credits (i.e., is related to your academic field of study); as a student, we need to know where specifically you will be working. We need written confirmation from your employer that includes the following:
- Company name
- Job title & description of duties
- Specific start and end dates (within the required range)
- Complete physical address of your work location
- Weekly hours
Note: If this information is missing from your original offer letter, you can upload additional documentation. This does not have to be a formal letterhead document. You may upload a screenshot of an email from your employer or a company data sheet as long as it confirms the details listed above.
Completed Co-op Agreement - needs to be filled in and signed by both you and your employer. Career Services will counter-sign the agreement once your enrollment is complete.
Attach these documents to your Experience on Handshake, they will be reviewed by your approvers during the registration process.

Co-op Enrollment Process

The Co-op enrollment process is opened during Michigan Tech's registration windows (see Term Dates on the Academic Calendar for specific registration dates).

We are excited to share that co-op registration will now be managed through Handshake Experiences, providing a more efficient and streamlined process. Because we are collaborating with multiple departments across campus, this process may take up to two weeks. Plan accordingly to ensure timely completion and make sure to read the Co-op Handbook to guide you in this process.

The timeline of the enrollment process can take up to two weeks. To speed up the process be sure to have the required documentation attached to your experience, and meet with your academic advisor and financial aid right away.

Enrollment Timeline and Explanation

Order	Reviewer	Action Required
1	Co-op Coordinator	Initial document audit (Offer letter/Agreement completeness). Start & End dates align with the term, & confirm student eligibility.
2	Academic Advisor	Meeting Required. Verifies degree alignment and graduation timeline. Provides students with information to best choose credit load.
3	Financial Aid	Meeting Required. Reviews impact on scholarships and aid packages. Provides students with information to best choose credit load.
4	Conduct Office	Internal check for behavioral or academic integrity issues.
5	Co-op Coordinator	Final review of all signatures and dates.

Co-op Approved Start & End Dates

Term	Start Dates	End Dates
Spring 2026	Dec. 29 - Jan. 12	Apr. 17 - May 1
Summer 2026 Full Summer	Apr. 26 - May 19	Jul. 30 - Aug. 21
Summer 2026 Track A	Apr. 26 - May 12	Jun. 11 - July 3
Summer 2026 Track B	Jun. 7 - Jun. 30	Jul. 30 - Aug. 21
Fall 2026	Aug. 17 - Sept. 2	Dec. 5 - Dec. 19
Spring 2027	Dec. 29 - Jan. 15	Apr. 17 - May 1
Summer 2027 Full Summer	May 1 - May 20	Aug. 1 - Aug. 20
Summer 2027 Track A	May 1 - May 15	Jun. 10 - Jul. 5
Summer 2027 Track B	Jun. 15 - Jul. 5	Aug. 1 - Aug. 20